Sermon Text: Philippians
2:5-11
Title: WWJD?
Not me!
I. We will
have nothing to do with humility – and it means death.
II. Jesus is
humiliated from Manger to Cross – and it means life.
THE KING OF KINGS
– IN HIS HUMILIATION – SPEAKS NO WORD OF OBJECTION NOR CONTEMPT, BUT SUFFERS
UTTER HUMILIATION FOR YOU TO BE EXALTED, EVEN UNTO HEAVEN ITSELF!
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and from our
LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text for today’s homily is taken from today’s Epistle
lesson – Philippians 2:5-11…
Have this mind
among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the
form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made
himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of
men. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly
exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I.
What Would Jesus Do? Remember those bracelets from the
90s? They came in all kinds of different colors and were all the rage. My kids
loved them and truthfully so did I. We each had several. I even remember using
the concept of the bracelet – which was to be in a tempting situation, look
down at the bracelet on your wrist and ask, “What Would Jesus Do?”
Now I won’t stand up here and say what some said of this
idea – that it was horrible. Why did they call it horrible? They said it was
because it taught people to do things for themselves instead of relying on
Christ – that it was a works righteousness attitude, meaning that we save
ourselves. Bologna! Besides – aren’t we taught in the 8th
Commandment to put the best construction on EVERYTHING? Or is that only on the
things we pick and choose?
I don’t believe that was the idea behind WWJD – and even
if it was, we could teach our children “as the head of the household should
teach” that Christ has saved us and that we don’t participate in the salvific
work of Jesus. No, that’s His and His alone.
Whom ever came up with this idea was trying to help
people think things through and keep them from sinning – right? Or as St. Paul
said…
Be imitators of me,
as I am of Christ. [1 Corinthians 11:1]
I cannot think of a better way to be an imitator of
Christ then to try and not sin!
So I was ok with WWJD and in fact loved it! I taught my
kids what it meant. The idea was a noble one – be an imitator of Christ. But
let’s be honest folks – we want nothing to do with being imitators of Christ.
Take today for example – Palm Sunday. Jesus – after three
years of wowing the crowds in and around Jerusalem with His teaching style, His
healing of the sick, His miracles of feeding large crowds and changing water
into wine, His casting out of demons, His calming of the storm, His walking on
water, His raising of the dead – and He rides in on a donkey?
If that were you or me we would be calling for the
grandest, most outlandishly gilded, souped-up, expensive chariot in all of the
Holy Land. We would have sent the disciples to announce our coming – not go
after a donkey. Large white Arabian horses would have pulled our Mercedes-like
chariot into Jerusalem for the Passover and the shouts of the people would have
been lost because of the greater shouts of the disciples touting our name and
accomplishments. We would have worn a crown.
And say nothing of what was to come at the end of the
week on Thursday and Friday – washing feet, being beaten and finally murdered.
From the Manger to the Cross, Jesus’ life was one of obedience.
But then we don’t have to go back to ancient times to
discover that we are not very good imitators of Christ. All we have to do is
look at our jobs, our homes, our friends, our lives. We are lazy, cheating, mean,
name-calling, lying, slanderous, thieving, conniving people – each and every one
of us.
No – WWJD is certainly not what I would do – and to be
honest I’m not sure I want to be reminded of that fact about myself. Of course
that is the argument for not having Jesus on the crosses in our churches. It’s
too difficult to look at that bloody Christ. I much more prefer the empty
cross; and then we have done it – we have traded in a theology of the Cross for
a theology of Glory and it’s not even His glory – but my false glory.
II.
And then there is our beautiful, saving text today – a text
filled with WWJD – and then we seem Him do it!
We hear words like nothing,
servant, humbled, obedient, death, and
cross – words we would outright reject, but our Savior Jesus Christ grasps
with both hands and will not let go.
WWJD? He would ride a donkey, He would eat with sinners,
He would wash His disciples’ dirty feet, He would allow Himself to be led away
in chains. This Son of GOD would allow men to abuse Him with their fists and
their words, with their metal and with their mockery.
WWJD? He would be obedient to the Law and to His Father –
even unto the point of death. Why?
One simple word – love. Jesus did not endure His Cross
for His sake, but for yours. He willing carried our sin from the Jordan to
Jerusalem and then to Golgotha. There He pinned our sins to His Cross in His hands
and His feet. There He pinned the hope of the world – where He obediently
earned our salvation – our forgiveness. With His life ended He gained ours for
us. WWJD? Everything.
For what purpose? So that we could one day become His
greatest imitator, when we imitate Him, by coming out of our graves on the Last
Day – not because of what we had done in this world – but because of what Jesus
did. Amen.
+ Soli Deo Gloria +
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